Grav CMS
Modern, fast, and powerful flat-file CMS
Ranked #1 in Self-hosted headless CMS platforms, and on 1 more ranking.
Grav CMS is a modern, open-source flat-file content management system. It requires no database or SQL installation wizard.
At a glance
| Best for | developers building documentation hubs and blogs |
From Grav CMS's own website.
Company facts
| Social profiles | X, YouTube |
| Brand colour | #15151a |
Facilities and features
Its website also mentions:
- Published pricing
- API
- Integrations
What stands out
The product uses a flat-file architecture with zero database lock-in.
“FLAT-FILE No Database”Grav CMS, own website
The product includes a built-in MCP server for agentic AI access.
“7 features MCP server”Grav CMS, own website
How it ranks
Grav CMS is ranked 1st of 10 in Self-hosted headless CMS platforms (Lister Score 94.0) and 6th of 10 in Headless CMS platforms for developers (Lister Score 94.0).
#1 in Self-hosted headless CMS platforms · Lister Score 94.0
Includes a built-in MCP server for agentic AI access.
How the score is made up: fit to this ranking's criteria 40; evidence on its own site 20; how complete its published information is 18; buying information on its own site 16.
“A first-class REST API for headless and decoupled builds, a completely rebuilt Admin 2.0 ,”Grav CMS, own website
“No database, no SQL, no installation wizard. You unzip it, drop Markdown into a folder, and you have a fast, secure, version-controllable website.”Grav CMS, own website
| Rank | Self-hosted headless CMS platforms | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grav CMS | 94.0 |
| 2 | Squidex | 94.0 |
| 3 | Strapi | 94.0 |
| 4 | Liferay Digital Experience Platform | 92.0 |
| 5 | ApostropheCMS | 90.0 |
| 6 | dotCMS | 88.0 |
| 7 | Sitepins | 88.0 |
| 8 | TinaCMS | 88.0 |
| 9 | Vvveb | 88.0 |
| 10 | KeystoneJS | 80.0 |
#6 in Headless CMS platforms for developers · Lister Score 94.0
Grav is a modern, open source flat-file CMS that requires no database.
Uses plain files so there is zero lock-in.
How the score is made up: fit to this ranking's criteria 40; evidence on its own site 20; how complete its published information is 18; buying information on its own site 16.
“A first-class REST API for headless and decoupled builds, a completely rebuilt Admin 2.0 ,”Grav CMS, own website
“Built for developers who need to ship fast”Grav CMS, own website
| Rank | Headless CMS platforms for developers | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flotiq | 98.0 |
| 2 | Kuroco | 98.0 |
| 3 | DatoCMS | 96.0 |
| 4 | Hygraph | 96.0 |
| 5 | LexasCMS | 96.0 |
| 6 | Grav CMS | 94.0 |
| 7 | Marble | 94.0 |
| 8 | Strapi | 94.0 |
| 9 | ApostropheCMS | 90.0 |
| 10 | ButterCMS | 90.0 |
Frequently asked questions
How does Grav CMS rank on Lister?
Grav CMS is ranked 1st of 10 in Self-hosted headless CMS platforms (Lister Score 94.0) and 6th of 10 in Headless CMS platforms for developers (Lister Score 94.0).